Back Home for Easter
By Tricia Cusden

Happy Easter to you all! I hope your weekend is filled with chocolate, hot cross buns and fluffy chicks, perhaps with a few gambolling lambs, although maybe the lamb will more likely be roasted and on your dinner plate. Whichever way you encounter any lamb, I do hope that you enjoy your time, preferably in some warm sunshine.

As many of you know, I spent the winter months in my daughter and son-in-law’s basement, not in some gloomy underground cellar but actually in spacious luxury with my own bedroom, shower room, utility/kitchen and share of a large family room where I was often joined by my gorgeous grandsons playing various video games.

So, when, at the beginning of March, it became feasible for me to return home to Wimbledon, I did so with some sadness because I missed them all, but also with a huge feeling of excitement and anticipation.

A bit of history: I bought my two-bedroomed ground floor flat in Wimbledon at an auction in 2004. I’d been watching ‘Homes Under the Hammer’ on TV and loved the idea of buying a property in that way. It’s quite a swift process and has lots of risk attached, both of which really appealed. At the time I was living in an upstairs flat in Chiswick with a problematic downstairs neighbour (a mentally ill reclusive man with a hoarding habit) and an unpleasant freeholder who went ballistic whenever I tried to improve the shared parts of the property which she owned, like the front garden (which was very overgrown) and the entrance hall which I decided to paint and make more welcoming with a new console table, a mirror and some flowers.

The Wimbledon flat came with the freehold attached, which I knew from that experience was potentially very valuable, so I tried to look past the dire state that it was in. The walls were running with damp which had caused the wallpaper to fall off in wide strips and there were large gaping holes in the old wooden floor. It had a gloomy bathroom and an outdated kitchen. But it had five things that I didn’t have in Chiswick and which I really wanted: 1) It was ground floor with, for London anyway,  a nice sized garden at the front and back. 2) It had its own front door, rather than a communal entrance hall. 3) By switching the living spaces around I could create a sitting room at the back with bi-fold doors opening onto the garden. 4) It was in a lovely quiet location in a great part of London opposite a small leafy park and 5) I could start from scratch and make it entirely my own.

The auction was unbelievably exciting. I had managed to get all my finances in place by allocating some savings and raising the rest as a mortgage. The guide price was £150,000 which I knew had been set temptingly low, but my absolute top price was £225,000 which would leave me with a budget of £40,000 for a complete renovation. Auctions are obviously a man’s game as there were almost no other women in the conference room of a large central London hotel where the auction took place. I decided to sit at the front so that I’d not be distracted by the other bidders, most of whom seemed to be property developers. The bidding started at £150,000 and I started raising my hand to bid immediately. It rapidly climbed up by £5,000 at each bid and, when someone bid £210,000, I knew that I was nearing my upper limit. I quickly bid £215,000 and was amazed and delighted when my rival bidder dropped out, and the gavel came down for me. With adrenaline pumping, I signed a cheque for 10% of the bid price and signed a promise to complete the transaction within exactly 4 weeks, when the flat would become mine. 

My two builders, Mike and Jim, who totally renovated my flat the first time around are the same ones who have just completed my latest remodelling project. In 2004 they did a brilliant job of solving the damp problem, installing the new floors, bathroom, kitchen and bi-fold doors and then painting and decorating throughout. Then in 2010 they returned to add an extension onto my living room and in 2018 to redesign the garden, so they were very familiar with the property and I knew that I could trust them to work consistently over the winter months and to deliver a great result.

And it’s that result that I’d like to share with you having promised to do so in a blog on 16th February called ‘My Stylish Home’ when I showed you my plans and ideas for the finished flat. As I explained, I wanted to end up with a bigger and more spacious bedroom with an ensuite bathroom created from two bedrooms; a kitchen that now incorporates the old bathroom so that it has doubled in size; and a reimagined hall and living room. First time around I went for a much more neutral palette. White walls throughout, white floors, except for oak in the hallway. A mostly white kitchen and a bathroom tiled on the floor and walls in a soft limestone colour . I added splashes of brighter colour with cushions, accessories and pictures, but it was all very Kelly Hoppen. Everything had been done on a shoestring to a tight budget, but I was very happy with the result when I moved into the property having decided to sell the Chiswick flat.

This time, as you can see, I have been much bolder and braver with the decor. I have also had more financial freedom thanks to selling my French house. This is now my ‘forever home’. The reconfigured rooms feel wonderfully spacious and are so nice to live in. I can’t tell you the joy  I get from lying in bed in my beautiful bedroom with its adjacent bathroom. Cooking has become a pleasure rather than a chore because I have proper work surfaces and four big drawers with masses of storage space in all those extra cupboards. The long thin entrance hall now looks elegant and inviting rather than cold and utilitarian and my gorgeous F&B Stone Blue Sitting Room is a very happy place in which to both work and relax.

From that glorious moment almost twenty years ago when the gavel fell and the auctioneer pointed at me and said: “‘It’s yours, Madam”, I have loved this flat, and the latest changes have made it perfect for the way I live now. My intention was to ‘future proof’ as much as I can without knowing what the future may hold. In the meantime, I have spent the last month back home pinching myself because I love it all so much. I may need sunglasses when I look at the bright pink magenta sofa, but everything I have chosen makes my heart sing and nourishes my soul. And you can’t ask for more than that.

Below is a carousel of images, to see each image please scroll down and click the arrows.

Below is a carousel of images, to see each image please scroll down and click the arrows. Hover over the image, with your mouse, to read the image captions.

Entrance Hall
Entrance Hall
Before: Walls were painted white. Floor was oak boards and there was a gilt framed mirror on the end wall above the table. Now: I have added a dado rail to make it look wider and painted the bottom half in LG Hicks Blue and the top in Slaked Lime. The striped wool runner is by Roger Oates. Small paintings of perfume bottles from the Affordable Art Fair to the left and the painting above the table is by Amy Judd.
From Bedroom to Bathroom
From Bedroom to Bathroom
Before: This was two same sized bedrooms. Both white painted and with white floorboards. Now: The wall between the two rooms has been removed and a larger bedroom and bathroom created with double doors to adjoin them. Wallpaper is Designer’s Guild ‘Impasto”. Bedding also from DG. Large pendant lamps are from Cox&Cox.
From Bathroom to Bedroom
From Bathroom to Bedroom
Before: This was two same sized bedrooms. Both white painted and with white floorboards. Now: With the wall moved I now have a spacious bedroom and a good sized bathroom with a proper bath and walk-in shower. The bright pink chimney breast is painted in Capri Pink by Annie Sloan and the large soft ‘polar white’ rug is by Ruggable.
Kitchen (Left Side)
Kitchen (Left Side)
Before: This was the very small bathroom. Now: The wall has been removed between the old bathroom and kitchen. Sage kitchen units from Howdens. Pink Smeg fridge is just visible and all other accessories came from my French house.
Kitchen (Right Side)
Kitchen (Right Side)
Before: This used to be the very small kitchen. Now: The kitchen has doubled in size. Most of the Howdens cupboards are still empty because I have so much room. The pictures to the left of the Belfast sink are framed menus taken from Carluccios (I did ask!).
Sitting Room
Sitting Room
Before: My sitting room used to have white walls and the large sofa was grey with some bright cushions and lamps with black lamp shade. Now: Walls are painted in F&B Stone Blue. The 4 seater sofa is from Sofas and Stuff covered in Designer's Guild Magenta Varese Velvet. All cushions are also from DG. The small pink chair is from a small local design shop. Footstool and cushion on the pale pink chair are covered in a fabric from Andrew Martin. White lamps are from Wayfair and the gallery wall is composed of paintings and photographs collected over time. Small round tables are from IKEA.
Pink Chair
Pink Chair
Before: My old grey sofa was so large I had no room for a side table or adjacent chair in this corner Now: I have added the small round IKEA table and the pretty pink chair which makes the room feel more balanced and harmonious.
New Shelves
New Shelves
Before: This wall had a large old French mirror which is now hung on the opposite wall. Now: I wanted somewhere to put family photos/books and various pots and ornaments that I have collected over time. The perfect solution was to have 4 shelves built into the right hand side of the extension which my lovely builders, Mike and Jim added for me in 2010.
Dining Room into Garden
Dining Room into Garden
Before: My old (very badly scratched) dining table was black wood with metal legs from IKEA. The six dining chairs were also from IKEA. Two grey metal pendant lights hung over the table. Now: The table is pale mango wood from Graham and Green and the white chairs are copies of a design by Phillipe Starck. The white metal pendant lamps are also copies of a famous Danish design by Louis Polsen. The silver candlesticks are by Georg Jensen actually bought in around 1990 in Denmark. Garden beyond was designed and planted around five years ago.
Entrance Hall
Entrance Hall
Before: Walls were painted white. Floor was oak boards and there was a gilt framed mirror on the end wall above the table. Now: I have added a dado rail to make it look wider and painted the bottom half in LG Hicks Blue and the top in Slaked Lime. The striped wool runner is by Roger Oates. Small paintings of perfume bottles from the Affordable Art Fair to the left and the painting above the table is by Amy Judd.
From Bedroom to Bathroom
From Bedroom to Bathroom
Before: This was two same sized bedrooms. Both white painted and with white floorboards. Now: The wall between the two rooms has been removed and a larger bedroom and bathroom created with double doors to adjoin them. Wallpaper is Designer’s Guild ‘Impasto”. Bedding also from DG. Large pendant lamps are from Cox&Cox.
From Bathroom to Bedroom
From Bathroom to Bedroom
Before: This was two same sized bedrooms. Both white painted and with white floorboards. Now: With the wall moved I now have a spacious bedroom and a good sized bathroom with a proper bath and walk-in shower. The bright pink chimney breast is painted in Capri Pink by Annie Sloan and the large soft ‘polar white’ rug is by Ruggable.
Kitchen (Left Side)
Kitchen (Left Side)
Before: This was the very small bathroom. Now: The wall has been removed between the old bathroom and kitchen. Sage kitchen units from Howdens. Pink Smeg fridge is just visible and all other accessories came from my French house.
Kitchen (Right Side)
Kitchen (Right Side)
Before: This used to be the very small kitchen. Now: The kitchen has doubled in size. Most of the Howdens cupboards are still empty because I have so much room. The pictures to the left of the Belfast sink are framed menus taken from Carluccios (I did ask!).
Sitting Room
Sitting Room
Before: My sitting room used to have white walls and the large sofa was grey with some bright cushions and lamps with black lamp shade. Now: Walls are painted in F&B Stone Blue. The 4 seater sofa is from Sofas and Stuff covered in Designer's Guild Magenta Varese Velvet. All cushions are also from DG. The small pink chair is from a small local design shop. Footstool and cushion on the pale pink chair are covered in a fabric from Andrew Martin. White lamps are from Wayfair and the gallery wall is composed of paintings and photographs collected over time. Small round tables are from IKEA.
Pink Chair
Pink Chair
Before: My old grey sofa was so large I had no room for a side table or adjacent chair in this corner Now: I have added the small round IKEA table and the pretty pink chair which makes the room feel more balanced and harmonious.
New Shelves
New Shelves
Before: This wall had a large old French mirror which is now hung on the opposite wall. Now: I wanted somewhere to put family photos/books and various pots and ornaments that I have collected over time. The perfect solution was to have 4 shelves built into the right hand side of the extension which my lovely builders, Mike and Jim added for me in 2010.
Dining Room into Garden
Dining Room into Garden
Before: My old (very badly scratched) dining table was black wood with metal legs from IKEA. The six dining chairs were also from IKEA. Two grey metal pendant lights hung over the table. Now: The table is pale mango wood from Graham and Green and the white chairs are copies of a design by Phillipe Starck. The white metal pendant lamps are also copies of a famous Danish design by Louis Polsen. The silver candlesticks are by Georg Jensen actually bought in around 1990 in Denmark. Garden beyond was designed and planted around five years ago.

Very Happy Easter to you all!

Tricia x

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